Yao Ming's NBA career was cut short due to injuries, but in his relatively short time in the league he made a massive impact as not only an All Star center, but the ambassador of Chinese basketball.

Before embarking on his professional playing career, Ming had promised his parents that he would go back and get his college degree.

A recent article in the New York Times featured Yao's experience on campus. In his third year at Jiao Tong University, the former Rocket is taking English, journalism and finance electives, and one of his professors is a former classmate from high school.

It hasn’t always been easy. The 33-year-old can hardly walk anywhere on campus without being swarmed by fans and reportedly complained once that one of his professors was a former high school classmate. But true to his word, Mr. Yao has diligently continued studying, taking English, journalism and finance electives in addition to his required classes.

A funny aside is that Yao commutes to work, but says he'd prefer to just live on campus, but can't find a bed to fit his 7'6 frame.

According to one Chinese news report, Mr. Yao would prefer to live in the dorms with his 20-year-old classmates, a move that would save time and energy, “but the beds are too small.”